I am a physician, currently practicing as an Anesthesiologist. My other passions are finance and investments. As of 2013, I have passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams, all in my first attempts. I received my Masters of Business Administration degree in 2008. I received my certification as a securities specialist from the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2009.

Category: Financial Markets

Social media is in everything this days, even in finance and investments. Unfortunately, finance related stuff doesn’t really trend in social media; at least here in the Philippines. The hashtag #ParaSaEkonomiya (For the Economy) is often used these days, but most of the posts don’t really relate to the economy. Sadly that hashatag has become a punchline.

Beginning with this post, Finance MD will regularly feature social media posts related to Philippine finance and investments. #ParaSaEkonomiya indeed.

The markets are not doing good right now. The Philippine Stock Exchanged (PSE) just experienced “Bloody Monday” on August 24 (news here). A down market doesn’t necessarily mean that it is already in a bear phase. Unfortunately, there are investments that have already entered bear territory in 2015,

The bear seems to be winning in 2015. Bull and Bear Statues near Frankfurt Sock Exchange. Image by EvaK from wikipedia.org

COL Financial, the Philippines most popular stock brokerage firm, has just downgraded its 2015 yearend forecast for the Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) to 7,950 from the 8,300 it predicted in January.

Want to learn how to invest in the stock market? This may be your best chance to learn it for free. You’ll also learn from “The Source” – the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) itself without going there personally (parking there during office hours sucks big time).

Is it just me or does the poster have too many icons? If you want to join the PSE Stock Market 101 Webinar, register at www.pseacademy.com.ph.

Last May 16, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society of the Philippines hosted the Philippine Retail Investment Conference at the SMX Taguig Convention Center. Notice that Superman is in the background in this picture. What were superheroes (there were more of them) doing there? Did this imply that an investor has to have superpowers now to make money in the market? Did this insinuate that the finance industry now operates in an alternate reality?

What was Superman – his statue, at least – doing in an investment conference?

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Today, February 19 is the start of the Year of the Wooden Goat / Sheep / Ram according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar. In this post, I will list some investment and money tips from experts in Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology.

Goats and sheep are totally different creatures, but that’s not important, right? Image from fengshuiben.blogspot

In this post, I’ll show a job listing for an equity analyst position from a Philippine based stockbrokerage firm, and let’s see what traits the company is looking for.

Because I’ve passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams, I would normally get emails regarding job opportunities in investment.

Here is a job listing for an equity analyst position at the stockbrokerage unit of a Philippines based bank. This is what they’re looking for in an applicant:

Do you have what it takes? Requirements for an equity analyst job at a stock brokerage firm Philippines. Image captured from job listing email.

I think I have what they are looking for. I enjoy working as a doctor though. What caught my eye in the list is the requirement for being “persuasive”.

I always thought that if you’re an equity analyst, your work should speak for itself. I didn’t know that part of the job is to also “convince” people.

Here is an interesting excerpt from the book How to Get an Equity Research Analyst Job: A Guide to Starting a Career in Asset Management by Gillian D. Elcock – available at Amazon

“Conviction is very important when you are an analyst. You can’t be lukewarm about your stock. You can’t give up on your idea the moment someone presents you with a different opinion about the company…

In fact, as an analyst, you often have to persuade your fund managers to buy your stocks, to convince them that this is the right thing to do… Why should they risk their client’s money and their careers if you don’t even have the conviction to stand behind your own stock recommendation?”